Theories regarding the long-term effects of educational interventions are often assumed, but rarely tested using experimental methods. In the following commentary, we argue that the shortage of randomized control trials with long-term follow-up presents serious problems for the field, as it hampers our ability to develop educational programs that…

One associate editor's perspective on classroom experiment articles is detailed in this article. The associate editor provides recommendations for manuscripts for the Instruction (those that describe new classroom experiments) and Research (those reporting studies into the efficacy of classroom experiments as a pedagogical tool) Sections of…

The authors thank Dr. Lindsay Page for providing a nice illustration of the use of the principal stratification framework to define causal effects, and a Bayesian model for effect estimation. They hope that her well-written article will help expose education researchers to these concepts and methods, and move the field of mediation analysis in…

"Charting New Territory: Tapping Charter Schools to Turn Around the Nation's Dropout Factories" argues for a more prominent role for charter operators in turning around perennially low-performing high schools. However, the report's ultimate findings and conclusions are out of proportion to the strength of the research evidence on school…

This article focuses on the first school for indigenous girls in Algeria that opened in Algiers in 1845. The founder, Eugenie Luce, taught girls the rudiments--French language and grammar, reading, arithmetic, and Arabic, while the afternoon hours were devoted to sewing. This early focus on teaching French in order to achieve the "fusion of…

The scientificalization of educational research methods was always the most predominant in the two tides of educational experiment in China in the twentieth century, the result of which was unexpectedly dissatisfactory, because researchers misunderstood the connotation of scientificalization in such a degree that resulted in the worship for…

Responding to an editorial appearing earlier in this journal, the author defends experimentation as an important strategy and cites the opinions of several researchers. It is emphasized that openness to experimentation, knowledge about its application, and ease with which it can be done in education are needed. (GK)

In fall of 2004, Carnegie Mellon University embarked on a bold educational experiment, the establishment of an overseas branch campus at Education City in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. Carnegie Mellon's decision to open up shop in the Middle East was by no means unique; indeed, Carnegie Mellon is just one of a growing number of institutions to…

Explains the characteristics and importance of random assignment in experimental research on education. Considers factors supporting causal inferences, the nature of "assignment units," differences between random sampling and random assignment, the characteristics of randomization tests, forms of random assignment, and effects of experimental…

Describes the nature and consequences of liberally or improperly applying the traditional reading research methodology and provides an argument for tempering judgments about the relative contributions that experimental studies make to the professional literature in reading. (SKC)

Reviews the contributions of anthropology in educational experiments designed to help educationally and socially disadvantaged children. Cautions that educational psychology will retain its hegemony in educational research, unless anthropology is able to show how educational failure can be reversed. (GC)

This article proposes to read events of the educational past not as history but as midrash. It juxtaposes an historical account of a watershed experiment in adult education (Franz Rosenzweig's Freie Judisches Lehrhaus) with an ethnographic account of a presently practicing elementary school teacher. These accounts are generically different and…

Innovation is difficult to define because a practice which is innovative on one campus may not be innovative elsewhere. Nevertheless, a possible definition might be "a practice which is worthy of emulation and has not yet been put into use by a significant number of colleges." Administrators should seek instructional innovation for several…

Changes in the British education system are discussed and the weaknesses of the British and American systems are seen to result from common causes. These causes are described as the hours spent watching television, children conditioned to expect entertainment, and educational experiments including open classrooms and "new math."…

Presents 12 points about experimentation all teachers concerned with evidence-based reading instruction should keep in mind as they evaluate assertions about literacy education. Reflects on how responsible experimenters who wish to inform literacy instruction should communicate research results to classroom practitioners. Concludes that educators…